Method of making fastener elements



13, 1932.- l 'A E. w. Ru'rHERFoRo I 1,890,471

Y' mamon or man@ 'mismmn Lmu'rs neduov. 1'2". 195o .To .1." y. v' I Patented Dec. 13, 1932*' UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE EUGENE W. RUTHERFORD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHOE HARDWARE COMPANY, F '.WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON'- NEGTICUT lApplication lled November 17, 19.30.i Serial No. 496,126. l y

My present invention relates to slide fasteners and more particularly to an improved method of making the individual fastener elements.

' Heretofore, such fastenervelements have been made in a plurality of different ways,

as for example, a strip of sheet material had been lfed successively through a bank of punches in a press; the element blanked out therefrom and held in the strip of material,

until the same is attached to a strip of Hexible material, such as a corded tape. The material surrounding the blanked out element was thrown away as waste'. Another method of forming such elements is to utilize a strip of material `of the proper thickness, blank out and form the element therefrom and the excess of material in the strip is thrown away as waste. v In either of these methods, there is from 2O to 60 percent waste of metal, and as such metal is expensive, it constitutes a considerable portion of the cost o f the elen ments.

Writh a view of obviating the objections-to past methods, I have devised the subJectl matter of the present invention 4wherein a -tially Iequal in width to the width. of the tinis'hed element and cut and split such material so as to blank off from the end of the strip individual elements which are afterwards processed, so as to be swagedinto the shape of the finished element, prior to its attachment to a corded tape, or preferably I may utilize a strip slightly greater in width than the total length of the body portion of the fastener element and blank ofi' from each l .sideof the strip blanks from which the completed fastener element may be formed.

This latter and preferred method is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a strip'of metal, from which the blanks are cut;

Fig. 2 represents an element blank, as obtained from the strip of metal shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 illustrates an intermediate stage of the element, developed from the structure shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 represents still another stage in the development of the element.

Fig. 5 illustrates a complete element ready for assembly on a corded tape, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken along line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In my improved method, I prefer taking a strip of material 10 of a thickness equal `to the thickness of afinished fastener element 11 (Fig. v6), and of'a widthequal to substantially the length of the body of an element 11, plus the width` of an arm 12 of such element. Preferably, a punch is made to punch Lout a series of blanks 9 like that illustrated in Fig. 2, andin each blank it will be noted that the body has formed integrally therewith at opposite sides and at one end thereof laterally extending armsv 12. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the s inner face 13 of the blank 9 (to be formed `1nto an element 11) lies in the same plane as the inner faces 14 of the laterally projecting arms or gripping members 12, and in comparing Fig. 2 with Fig. l it will beseen that the plane through the inner faces 14 of the arms 12 and the inner face 13 of the body of the blank 9 is the same as that in which is located one ofl thesides of the strip of ma terial 10. The punch for punching out ,the blank shown in Fig. 2 is of such size and shape as compared with the width of the strip of material 10 that in blanking out two elements A and B'(Fig. 1) on one side of the strip, there is shaped up on the opposite side a similar blank 9 in which the inner face' 13 of the'body thereof lies in the sameplare as the inner faces 14 of the laterally extending arms 12 formed integrally therewith, and such inner face 13 ofthe body and the inner faces 14 of the arms-lie in the same plane as the other edge of the strip 10.

v rated in any desired manner.

The element blanks 94 are preferably said arms to conform themwith the shapeof formed by unching out a series o blanks as the finished arm and bending the same into f A, B and and so on, from one side of the strip of material 10, thus leaving on the other side of the strip a plurality of element blanks connected together and which ma be sepa- 'le the above is the preferred way of manufacturing the blanks, I'may, if desired, blank ont from each side-of the strip 10 alternately the element blanks 9. In either event, 100% of the strip of material 10 is utilized in the prepav ration of the fastener elements 11.

The blank 9 as blanked out from the strip 10 is illustrated in Fig. 2, and the arms 12 thereof laterally extending outward therefrom at one end therefrom are swaged toassume the position shown in Fig. 3. The blank 9 is then swaged into the form shown in Fig. 4 with the arms 12 occupying the final position with respect to the body of the element, prior to its attachment-tothe corded end of atape. This final. form' as shown in Fig. 4 is then processed to provide a projection 16 on one face thereof Vand a depression 17 on the opposite face thereof. i

Various methods will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in this art for performing the various operations on the blanked out fastener element for making the same assume its nal form, but as far as I am aware,

i it is broadly new to make a fastener element out of a sheet of stripped material and utilize 100% of such material without any waste, and L-therefore, desire to 'claim my method broadly.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Pat- `ent is:

1. The improved method of making fastener elements having `gripping members formed integrally therewith which consists in taking a strip of material of a width greater than the length of the body of an element, dividing the same into blanks of equal size having-arms formed integrally therewith and l v extending laterally'outward therefrom at one end thereof for forming the gripping members of the finished elements, swaging said arms to conform with the shape of the nished arm; and bending the same into final position with respect to the body,'and finally forming a depression and a projection on opposite faces of theelement.

`2.- The improved methodof making fastener elements which consists in taking a strip of material of a width greater than the length of the body of an element, dividing the same.- into blanks of the same size and shape havfl ing laterally extending arm at one end thereof for forming. the arms of the element, the inner faces of the arms being in. alignment ywith each otherA and withthe inner end of Y the body of the element and coinciding with the edge of the strip ofmaterial, swaging final osition with respect to the body.

3. ghe improved method of making fastener elements which consists in taking a stri 7 of material of a width greater than the lengt of the body of an element, dividing the same into identical blanks having laterally extending narrow arms at one end thereof for forming the arms of an element, one side of each l arm rbeing coextensive with .a side of the strip, and then forming the elements therefrom.

4. The improved method of making fastener elements which consists in taking a i strip ofmaterial of a width greater than the length of the body' of the element, cutting blanks from one side of such strip of material, said blanks having arms formed integrally therewith and extending laterally outi ward therefrom at one end thereof for form-vl ing-the gripping members of the finished elements, simultaneously forming o n the other side of such strip a series of similar element blanks, swaging said.` arms to conform with the shape of the finished arm and bending the same into final position 'with respect to the body and finally forming a depression and a projection on opposite faces of the element. 5.*The improved method of making fastener elements which consists in taking a strip of material of a width greater than the length ofthe body of an element, cutting blanks from one side of said strip, said blanks having laterally extending arms at one end thereof for forming the arms of the element, and simultaneously forming a series of similar blanks on the other side of the strip, the inner faces of th'erms being in alignment with each other and with the inner end of the body of the element, swaging-said arms to conform them with the shape of the finished arm and bending the same into final position with respect to the body.- f 6. The improved method of making fastener elements which consists in taking a strip of material of a. width greaterthan the length of the body of an element, cutting blanks from each sideof said strip with laterally extending arms at one end thereof, the Vcombined area of the blanks cut from each side of the strip equalling the. total area of the strip, swaging said arms to conform them with the shape of the finished arm and bending the same into final 'position with respect'to` the 7 The method of making fastenerments comprising cutting from a strip rality of `blanks of varying width,.the1jtotal area of the blanks (in the plane of the strip) being equal `to the area of the strip in such plane, each blank having a pair of laterally extending arms, swaging said arms'to formcomplementary gripping memberajand then finishing the blanks to form fastener ele` ments.

8. The method of making fastener elements comprising cutting from a strip a piurality of blanks of varying width, the total area of the blanks (in the lane of the strip) being equal to the area o the strip in such pla-ne, swaging parts of said blanks to form grip ping members for attachment to the corded edge of a tape, and then forming a projecv tion on one face and a depression upon the other face of the blank to form complete fastener elements.

9. The improved method of making fastener elements which consists n taking a strip of material of a width greater than the lengt of the body of an element, cutting blanks from one side of said stri said blanks having.

narrow laterally exten mg arms with one side of each arm coextensive with said side of the strip, simultaneously forming a series of like blanks on the other side of, the strip, and forming fastener elements from said blanks.

10. The improved method of making fastener elements which consists in dividing a strip longitudinally into two opposed series of blanks with each blank in one series intertting between two blanks in an opposite series, and each blank being connected to an adjoining blank in the same series by a narrowed portion along an edge of the strip, cutting the blanks apart at the middle of said narrowed portions to thereby form projectin arms at each side of the blank, shaping an said arms to form gripping members, an the element.

11. The improved method of makin fastener elements which consists in divi mg a strip longitudinally into two series of blanks having inwardly projecting and nteritting areas of the same size'and shape throughout the strip, the pro'ecting areas of said series being connected y narrowed intermediate portior@ ,coextensive with the edges o f the strip, separating the blanks at the middle point of each narrowed portion to form ateral arms at each side of each blank, shapin said arms to form gripping members, an finishing the blanks. Signed at New York, coun of New York, State of New York this 31 ay of October` 1930 EUGENE W. RUTHERFORD 

